Protect Your Ears

By Moira Chisholm

Pic: iStockphotos

Do you think about how to protect your eyes during the holidays? Earex ear care expert, Dr Henderson, has a wealth of experience and is here with expert advice on how to avoid swimmer’s ear, ear infections and blocked ears. Conditions you certainly don’t want to spoil your precious summer holiday!

Dr. Roger Henderson.

Swimmer’s ear

Summer travel and the exposure to potential ear problems often go hand in hand. Earex is a must-pack product for those looking to plunge into the pool during their trip. Earex Pain Relief can help tackle pain caused by Swimmers ear, commonly experienced by travellers because of repeated exposure to water, such as diving into the pool or sea.

To avoid “Swimmer’s ear” – more correctly called otitis externa – which is a condition that affects more than 1% of the UK population every year. The general advice is to always avoid getting the affected ear wet, and resist the temptation to use cotton wool buds inside the ear or pushing a towel into them. Swimmer’s ear is given this nickname because it can be caused by water getting into the ear canal – the tube between the outer ear and the eardrum – and so is more common in swimmers. Other causes include infection and allergic reactions but it can also occur for no obvious reason. Although any one of any age can get it, women appear to suffer slightly more than men. As well as swimming, other factors triggering it include excessive ear cleaning or overuse of ear piece headphones, as can pre-existing skin conditions such as eczema, acne or psoriasis. Earex Pain Relief Ear Spray has a triple action formula, the unique blend of herbal, non-steroidal, natural anti-inflammatory and local analgesics combine to offer effective first aid for ear problems by calming, soothing and reducing ear pain. It also provides antibacterial and anti-infective protection.

Blocked ears

We all make wax in our ears and this is necessary to help block out foreign bodies such as pollution, dust and bacteria, but this wax can occasionally mix with dead skin to create a wax plug that blocks the ear canal. The best way to avoid blocked ears is to make sure you dry your ears carefully if they get wet and try using Earex Advance Ear Drops that help soften and gently remove hard ear wax if you feel your ears are starting to become blocked. Blocked ears cause symptoms such as reduced hearing or a feeling of sound being “muffled” in that ear, dizziness or even ear discomfort. It is important to keep our ears clean, but do not be tempted to use cotton buds if you have wax in your ears as this can push the wax further down into the ear canal and make it harder to be removed. If you have pain in your ears, seek a medical opinion first.

Ear infections

Earex Pain Relief Ear Spray is an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic spray that can calm and soothe local ear irritation and infection as well as helping dissolve any excessive wax in the ear canal, making it a go-to product for ear infections. Its compact size means it is great to take on holiday with you. Many people can suffer from low level ear infections and whilst some serious middle ear infections may need antibiotics, mild infection or irritation of the ear canal often does not and can be treated more easily. Ear wax, eczema in the ear canal and trauma due to scratching or using buds in the ear can all trigger inflammation. If you feel you may have an ear infection, ask your doctor or practice nurse to check it out and if simple treatment is all that is required, then try this treatment.